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Thursday, April 24, 2014

Okay so I missed posting my progress last week. Rest assured that even though I didn't get a chance to post everything that went down over here, I have been making sweet progress in my living room/dining room makeovers. That DOES NOT mean that I still don't have major concerns about getting the room to full completion on time. I'm at the mercy of my upholsterer for a few things and he's pretty covered up right now.

In any case I'm going to put my worries aside and share a little progress I've made in the dining room. And there's a DIY involved that meets two major requirements. It's quick and easy.

So I have your attention now? Meet my circa 1970 something brass and glass chandelier that was practically free at my Habitat for Humanity store.

I'm sure it's no secret why I was drawn to this fixture. (Hint: It starts with a "p" and rhymes with "lagoda.") Of course I love that! But what I wasn't crazy about was the highly lacquered brass finish. I wanted something warmer and softer, but still gold.

I'm sure you already know where we're going with this.

After removing the glass I quickly and not so carefully applied rub n buff to all brass parts that I could see well enough without my reading glasses on.

I'll give you that the change at this point is subtle. But we're not done yet. I thought it might be fun to update the glass by doing an antique mirror finish on the glass panels. I've seen a number of tutorials on Pinterest and then again on Little Green Notebook.

So I laid the glass panels face side down on a tarp and sprinkled them with a mixture of water and vinegar. I didn't measure how much of each.

Then I sprayed them with this stuff (found on the shelves of my local Wal-Mart)

See how the vinegar/water solution lays on top of the glass? Just grab a paper towel and blot/lightly wipe it off.

As a final step I sprayed on a coat of black to "age" those bare spots.

And then it was just a matter of reassembling the chandelier.

And all put back together and lit up.

Told you it was quick and easy!!

Thanks for checking in on my progress!

And 2 weeks to go!! Yikes! (x 2)

The Green Room Interiors provides Interior Decorating and Design Services in Chattanooga, TN. If you'd like to discover the joy of living in a well designed home, contact Kim Lemmon at 423.653.3186 or email thegreenroominteriors@gmail.com

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Welcome to this week's drama installment of The One Room Challenge. If you're new to this thing called the Internet then here's the story. Linda came up with the idea to have a group of bloggers participate in an online room makeover one week at a time for 6 consecutive Wednesdays and Thursdays sharing our progress (or lack thereof) each week and culminating in a big reveal on the last installment. I'm tired just thinking about it.

My chosen room is my living room/dining room combo at my own little abode known as Project Dollhouse. I'm happy to report that some progress has been made on some major design elements. Like the floor. We have one now.

And paint on the walls. Want to know what color it is? If only I knew. I originally painted it Benjamin Moore's Symphony Blue (after I painted 1 coat of Farrow & Ball's Brinjal) and it was a little too intense. Like being trapped in an oil painting. So I added a little of this and a little of that of the leftover paint I had and this is what I got. I would describe it as navy teal, or marine blue. It's darker than it appears in these images, as is the floor.

I also pulled the Craigslist green velvet sofa out of storage so here's a gander at that.

Classic tuxedo with brass nailheads. The craigslist gods were smiling on me that day. My iphone photos do not accurately capture the brilliance that is this sofa.

So, where am I going from here? In the end I'd like to have a space that feels collected, colorful, layered, and mostly classic with a sense of age - but still feels like right now.

Some rooms that are inspiring me:

Are you still with me?

The obligatory mood boards:

I created these mood boards months ago so naturally a few things have changed. Or more than a few things. But I think overall it will have the same feel and color palette.

The Green Room Interiors provides Interior Decorating and Design Services to happy homeowners in Chattanooga, TN. If you'd like to discover the joy of living in a well designed home, contact Kim Lemmon at 423.653.3186 or email thegreenroominteriors@gmail.com

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Goodness that's a long name for a post title! As you have surely gathered, I'm going to attempt to do my long neglected living room and dining room here at Project Dollhouse. And you would think with all of the great ideas I got from my people during the Pimp My Dollhouse series that I would have a clear plan at this point. Almost. The truth is there were so many great renditions of these rooms that I've decided to take my favorite ideas from each plan, run them through the design blender, and create my own little concoction.

Anyway, here is what these rooms looked like waaaaaay back when we bought the house. We won't say how long ago that was.

And, just like in the Pimp My Dollhouse Series, I will be incorporating some things I already have

What you can you expect over the next 6 weeks? There will be furniture makeovers, a lighting diy, and big ole' serving of indecisiveness/self doubt. The usual!

Hope you will follow along for the next 6 Thursdays! And if you just can't wait until next week for an update, the best place to find me is Instagram, so follow along!